July 18, 1995 - Part 3
July 18, 1995 - Part 3
(12:15:33) Mr. CHERTOFF. I'm going to ask someone to put up on the screen.-we have a little schematic which is going to go up on the screen in a moment. To give credit where credit is due, it's been hand drawn by the brother Of One of our staff people based in part on a Washington Post drawing. If I could direct your attention that's good. If I could direct your attention to the lower left-hand corner, is it your recollection that the White House Counsel's suite was in a corner of the West Wing, as you can see it on the screen? Mr. HUBBELL. I believe I described it and that's where it is, yes. Mr. CHERTOFF. Now, am I also correct that you would enter the office by going into what would be described as a reception or common area in which there were a number of desks? Mr. HUBBELL. Yes, I believe there are at least four or five desks in what you designated as the reception area. It wasn't really a reception area. It was pretty crowded, but there were about four or five desks there. Mr. CHERTOFF. Then, if one left the common area, you could either go into Vincent Foster's office or Bernard Nussbaum's office, both of which opened into the common area? Mr. HUBBELL. That's correct. Mr. CHERTOFF. So, then, in order to get access to Mr. Foster's office or to Mr. Nussbaum's office, you would walk through what we) we've described as a reception area? Mr. HUBBELL. That is correct. Mr. CHERTOFF. Now, if you were to walk out of the White House Counsel's Office and, oriented the way the picture is on the screen, You were to take a right and go down the hall, whose office would be next? Mr. HUBBELL. The next office, I guess, to the right, as I'm looking at the screen, from the reception area would be the reception area for the First Lady and then the next office would be the First Lady's office. 46 Mr. CHERTOFF. Then, if you continued one office further to the right, would you hit Margaret Williams' office? Mr. HUBBELL. 1 have to say that I've never been in Maggie's office, so I don't know the answer to that question. Mr. CHERTOFF. Now, if I can ask for the other schematic to go up for just a second, we're going to drop down one floor to the first floor and orient it in exactly the same direction as the prior drawing. Am I correct that the Office of the Chief of Staff, who was then Mr. McLarty, in July of 1993 was located in that corner of the West Wing? Mr. HUBBELL. That is correct. Mr. CHERTOFF. That would be directly below the Office of the White House Counsel? Mr. HUBBELL. Yes. Mr. CHERTOFF. Then, if you were to take a right exiting the White House Chief of Staffs Office and walk all the way down the hall, you would ultimately hit the Oval Office? Mr. HUBBELL. That is correct. Mr. CHERTOFF. Thank you. I think that does it for the schematic. What was your understanding, by the way, in general terms of what Mr. Foster's responsibilities were as a Deputy White House Counsel? Mr. HUBBELL. They had tremendous responsibilities. They provided legal advice to not only the President, but everyone else who was in the White House. I believe even the National Security Council's attorney is part of the White House Counsel's Office. They would be the primary, I guess, General Counsel for the White House. For example, if there was a lawsuit against the Health Care Task Force, they would be the General Counsel for the White House in that case. Mr. CHERTOFF. Now, when Mr. Foster was the Deputy White House Counsel, to your knowledge was he working on anything at the White House regarding Whitewater? Mr. HUBBELL. I do know that Vince was assisting in the preparation of the Whitewater tax returns, and I assume as they also applied to the Clintons' personal tax returns. Mr, CHERTOFF. How did you come to that knowledge? Mr. HUBBELL. Vince told me. Mr. CHERTOFF. When did he begin working on those tax returns? Mr. HUBBELL. I really could not tell you that. I know it was sometime in the spring of 1993. 1 don't know when the Clintons filed those tax returns but I knew sometime prior to the filing of the returns. Mr. CHERTOFF. Do you know why he was selected to do that Mr. HUBBELL. I think he had familiarity with some of the Clinton tons 7 personal financial situations. He was also working on some of their other disclosure forms. He obtained that work during the' transition, and I think it was logical for him to continue to do so. Mr. CHERTOFF. Now, was Mr. Foster a tax lawyer by training? Mr. HUBBELL. No, he was not. Mr. CHERTOFF. Moving backward in time now and directing your attention to the period of the campaign in 1992, what involvernent did Mr. Foster have, if any, at that period of time regarding information about Whitewater? Mr. HUBBELL, With regard to Whitewater, I don't know that Vince had any. There were other issues that would come up with regard to the firm that Vince would assist the campaign and me in preparing answers for the media inquiries. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did those questions include the McDougals or Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan?